Piauí state Governor Rafael Fonteles has given the go-ahead for the renovation and expansion of the 1 000 mm gauge suburban network in Teresina, which currently comprises a single 13·5 km route shared with freight traffic.

The governor approved the R$11m investment package on August 9; R$9·4m of this will be spent on converting a further 2·5 km of freight railway to carry passenger services, and R$1·6m on the renovation of 4 km of existing line.

The planned extension would run from Boa Esperança station on the existing route to the Colorado district to the east. This route is currently solely used by freight trains, and will require substantial infrastructure renewals to permit introduction of suburban trains. This work is expected to last around eight months.

The existing suburban line will be renovated in two phases, covering the 3·2 km between Boa Esperança and Itararé terminus, and a 0·8 km section between Matinha and Alberto Silva in the city centre. A blockade started on August 9 and the upgrading is scheduled to take about five months.

‘There is a large demand for public transport throughout Brazil, and Teresina is no different. The work allows families in the most populous region of the capital to have access to public transport. Our suburban rail service is fast, comfortable, and safe’, said José Augusto Nunes, President of operator Companhia Ferroviária e Logística do Piauí.

Fonteles added that the remaining 9·5 km of the line is also due to be renewed within a budget of R$200m, but a final financing agreement has not yet been reached.